Liverpool: A Team of Two Halves

It is here that we seem to be having our biggest issue this season: playing an entire game of football at the same level from start to finish. Not once, have we maintained a respectable level of performance from start to finish and that is startling. Given our current league position though, you could wager that, had we managed to hold a performance together, we would probably currently be sitting a few points – and a few places – better off.

It is hard to pin point where the problem comes from but personally I would be inclined to believe it is a tactics issue. We are talking about a group of players here who – for the most part – have spent the best part of the last 5 years maintaining performance levels over periods of months, nevermind one-off games so mentality or physicality shouldn’t be an issue. No, the problem for me lies in how the players are set out from the off.  Away from home, the Reds have been dire this season, no question about it. Part of the reason for that is the way Hodgson sets his team up ultra-defensive. It comes over as the emphasis being on really not wanting to lose with little thought to winning. Often, by half time, the side is down and so the resultant second half performance is better because it simply has to be.

Similarly, with the home games – Liverpool are often quick out the blocks but then their performance wanes once we get in front. Whether this is just complacence or outright fear of losing the lead? Who can say? Either way, it’s a big issue for us at present.  One thing that does need to be rectified straight away though, and with the defeat to Tottenham on Sunday still fresh in the memory, is that the Roy needs to instigate a change in the way the players drop off once they get in front.  The message must be coming from the bench; we saw it against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham last week.  I’d even go as far as to say that, against Manchester United, we did it once we leveled the scores at 2:2; the fear seemed to set in, the players started making panicked clearances and we ended up losing.  We need to maintain a consistent performance level over a period of 90 minutes.  Unless the manager can push the players into showing up for the whole game, we have no chance of finishing in the top 4 this year.

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Lemmy and his band Motorhead at a French bar

This week it is former Liverpool WAG Claudine Keane.
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